


Rolling with the Punches

by LittlebutFiery



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: Gen, Harassment, Pre-Canon, Rating for Language, start of friendship - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-17
Updated: 2018-11-17
Packaged: 2019-08-24 19:58:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,538
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16646738
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittlebutFiery/pseuds/LittlebutFiery
Summary: Even the best of friendships can have rocky starts.





	Rolling with the Punches

Riza looked up from her book, stretching for a moment. She’d been studying for this tactics exam for days, and while she was confident she knew the material, that didn’t mean she could let up.

If she wanted to find Roy again, she had to be the best soldier she could possibly be. He would be a major, as a State Alchemist. She’d leave the academy as a warrant officer, one of the lowest rungs on the totem pole. To find Roy, to serve alongside the only person who’d ever cared for her, she would have to be exceptional, outstanding, a perfect soldier.

So she studied and worked relentlessly to get herself there.

A loud  _ thud _ drew her attention to one of the large bookshelves. Another female cadet was standing there, some books in her hands and several more books in a heap on the floor. She was looking around, cheeks scarlet with embarrassment.

Riza let out a derisive huff. She wasn’t aware Rebecca Catalina had even known where the library was, with how little the brunette ever seemed to study.

At least, Riza had never seen her doing so, and considering she lived with Rebecca, she thought she’d probably know better than anyone.

A male cadet was over to Rebecca’s side in a flash, helping her pick up the mess. It took Riza a moment to recognize him as Jean Havoc, one of her few friends in her class. He wasn’t the brightest student, with a penchant for screwing around - literally - but Riza liked him well enough. He worked hard and had a big heart, and he had the makings of a good soldier.

She couldn’t help but sigh. As much as she liked Jean, he didn’t always think with his head, and he fancied Rebecca. Of course he’d leap to her rescue.

For her part, Rebecca giggled at Jean as he scooped up the books she’d dropped, tucking her hair behind her ear as she simpered and smiled. Riza rolled her eyes, scowling at the sight.

She tried to give everyone the benefit of the doubt, but she failed to find many things she liked about Rebecca, and living with her had only made things worse. At first things hadn’t been so bad - Rebecca was sweet and enthusiastically embraced Riza as a new friend, getting her a book Riza had offhandedly mentioned wanting. She chattered enough for the both of them when Riza was in a social mood, but quieted down and left Riza alone when she wanted to study. Riza had enjoyed her roommate for the first few weeks, hopeful she would come out of the academy with at least one new friend.

Quickly, though, Riza saw the other side of Rebecca, one she liked far less. She was far more interested in socializing than her coursework - it seemed she went out on the town more nights than not and was rarely back by curfew. Most of her time was spent fretting over finding “cute” outfits with the little money they made as cadets, rather than saving it for something useful, or sleeping with half their male classmates. Riza had come back to her room countless times to find Rebecca tangled up with another cadet, going at it, and she was getting tired of it. If she stumbled in on  _ Jean _ sleeping with her roommate, she’d have to have a firm talk with her lanky friend.

All in all, Rebecca Catalina was the antithesis of Riza Hawkeye, and they got along about as well as fire and water.

But then again, Riza had more important things to think about. She’d taken a long enough break from studying, and she wasn’t particularly interested in seeing Jean flirting with Rebecca. She returned her attention to her book, relieved when the pair’s conversation ended.

“Hey, Riza!”

Riza sighed, not wanting any more distractions. She turned, saw Cory walking towards her, and offered a cursory greeting before looking back down at her book. He wasn’t a bad guy, a bit outgoing for Riza’s taste, but she really didn’t have time for a conversation right now. She needed to be studying.

Cory sat down across the table from Riza, stretching out and kicking his feet up. “Whatcha up to, Ri?”

“It’s Riza,” she corrected immediately. “I’m studying for our tactics exam on Thursday.”

“Oh, c’mon, give yourself a break!” Cory laughed, leaning across the table and closing Riza’s book. “You’re gonna be fine. If anyone’s going to pass, you will.”

“I appreciate that, but I’d like to study some more,” Riza said coolly, pulling her book away and opening it back up. “If you don’t mind.”

“You really need to cut yourself some slack,” Cory insisted. “Get out some! C’mon, let’s go on a date. You and me, tomorrow night? There’s a great Aerugian place nearby…”

“No, thank you,” Riza replied simply. “Tomorrow is my last night to study.”

“I already told you, you don’t need to,” Cory waved her off.

“Regardless, I would like to,” Riza grit her teeth.

Cory paused a moment before his expression soured, eyes narrowing. “You think you’re too good for me, don’t you?”

Riza sighed. “No. I’m not interested in dating, and I would  _ really _ . Like. To study.”

Cory lurched to his feet, shoving an accusatory finger in Riza’s face. “You think you’re hot shit, Hawkeye, just because you’re top of the class! You’re not so fucking special. You’re a fucking prude and you think you’re so much better than us, don’t you? You aren’t shit!”

“Hey, fuckface!”

Cory stopped mid-sentence, and both he and Riza turned towards the speaker.

Rebecca was standing there, books and Jean both gone, her arms crossed and a dark look on her face. “You deaf or just stupid? She said no. It means no, douchebag.”

“Rich of you to say that, Catalina. I don’t think you know what ‘no’ means, not based on how many guys you’ve fucked here. You teaching Hawkeye how to sleep her way up the ranks?” Cory spat.

Rebecca laughed. “Wow, sleeping up the ranks? Get creative and learn to use an insult that’s not twenty years old.”

Cory seethed, glare darting between Rebecca and Riza. Rebecca giggled again and said, “C’mere, Cory. I want to tell you something.”

He hesitated so she frowned and scowled, “I mean it. C’mon, I’ve got a secret about Riza. C’mere.”

Cory finally obeyed, walking towards Rebecca while Riza glared. What the hell was she thinking? For a moment Riza had thought Rebecca was on her side…

“You gotta come closer, Cory. If she hears, she’ll kill me,” Rebecca half-sang. He leaned closer, but she insisted, “Closer.”

Everything was very still before Rebecca pulled her arm back and punched Cory in the jaw as hard as she could, knocking him into a nearby table.

She rubbed her knuckles as Cory screeched, “The fuck, Catalina? I think you broke my fucking jaw!”

“Good. Maybe you’ll remember this the next time you don’t leave a lady alone when she says no. Now fuck off. If we’re lucky, the infirmary will wire your jaw shut so we can get a break from your bullshit,” Rebecca spat, and Cory scrambled off.

Riza stared at Rebecca, shocked, before Rebecca asked, “You okay, Riza?”

“Y-yeah, I’m fine,” Riza nodded.

“Good. I’m sorry about that. Most of these assholes don’t know how to take no for an answer. God knows I’ve dealt with enough of it,” Rebecca said.

Riza was quiet for a moment. “Why did you do that?”

“Do what?” Rebecca asked.

“Stand up for me,” Riza said. “We aren’t exactly best friends.”

“Yeah, so? We might not get along but that doesn’t mean I’m gonna just watch some guy harass you,” Rebecca shrugged. “Sure, I can be a bitch, but I’m not that heartless. Besides, we were friends for a couple weeks; I’m not just going to ignore that.”

Riza paused again before finally managing, “...I’m sorry.”

“What was that?” Rebecca asked, obviously confused.

“I’m sorry,” Riza repeated, voice stronger. “We got off on the wrong foot, and...I haven’t been fair to you.”

“Life’s not fair,” Rebecca shrugged again.

“That’s no excuse to be terrible to each other,” Riza said firmly. “Rebecca, I’m sorry. If you’d like...if you can forgive me...I’d like to start over. Maybe this time, we can be friends, for real.”

A grin split Rebecca’s face in two and she was quick to sit down across from Riza. “Hell yeah, let’s give it another shot.”

“Just like that?” Riza asked, startled.

“No point in holding grudges, right?” Rebecca said.

She began to chatter on about something, but Riza sat there a moment, shocked by her revelation.

She’d always assumed that what she needed to know to be a good soldier was contained in the books she so devotedly studied. And in many cases, that was the truth.

But maybe she could learn a few things from the woman sitting across from her, the vivacious, outgoing woman who had just forgiven her like it was the easiest thing in the world.

As Rebecca rambled on with a big smile, Riza couldn’t help but smile as well.

Maybe...having a roommate like Rebecca Catalina wasn’t a curse after all.


End file.
